What Diseases Does Genetic Testing Look For? - Fixanswer

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first home DNA tests Thursday that let people find out if they have a genetic risk for certain diseases. The FDA decision allows home DNA test company 23andMe to directly market its gene tests for

10 diseases

, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and some rare blood diseases.

What do they look for in genetic testing?

Genes: Gene tests

study DNA sequences to identify variations (mutations) in genes that can cause or increase the risk of a genetic disorder

. Gene tests can be narrow or large in scope, analyzing an individual DNA building block (nucleotide), one or more genes, or all of a person’s DNA (which is known as their genome).

What are three reasons someone may get a genetic test?

To diagnose a disease or a type of disease.
To determine the cause of a disease.
To determine treatment options for a disease.
To find your risk of getting a certain disease that possibly can be prevented.

What diseases can be detected through genetic testing before pregnancy?

Cystic fibrosis.
Fragile X syndrome.
Sickle cell disease.
Tay-Sachs disease.
Spinal muscular atrophy.

Why genetic testing is bad?

Some disadvantages, or risks, that come from genetic testing can include:

Testing may increase your stress and anxiety

.

Results in some cases may return inconclusive or uncertain

.

Negative impact on family and personal relationships

.

Why would a doctor order genetic testing?

Genetic testing is useful in many areas of medicine and

can change the medical care you or your family member receives

. For example, genetic testing can provide a diagnosis for a genetic condition such as Fragile X or information about your risk to develop cancer. There are many different kinds of genetic tests.

What does it mean when genetic testing comes back positive?

When interpreting test results, health care providers consider a person’s medical history, family history, and the type of genetic test that was done. A positive test result means that

the laboratory found a change in a particular gene, chromosome, or protein of interest.

What are the three types of genetic testing?

The following information describes the three main types of genetic testing:

chromosome studies, DNA studies, and biochemical genetic studies

. Tests for cancer susceptibility genes are usually done by DNA studies.

What are the risks of genetic testing?

Generally genetic tests have

little physical risk

. Blood and cheek swab tests have almost no risk. However, prenatal testing such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling has a small risk of pregnancy loss (miscarriage). Genetic testing can have emotional, social and financial risks as well.

Is it worth getting genetic testing?

The obvious benefit of genetic testing is the

chance to better understand of your risk for a certain disease

. It can help ease uncertainty. Testing is not perfect, but it can often help you make decisions about your health.

How long does genetic testing take?

How long does it take to get genetic test results? Commercial labs often give faster results (

usually within 2 to 4 weeks

) than research centers (a minimum of 4 weeks, often longer).

How expensive is genetic testing?

The cost of genetic testing can range from

under $100 to more than $2,000

, depending on the nature and complexity of the test. The cost increases if more than one test is necessary or if multiple family members must be tested to obtain a meaningful result.

How accurate is the blood test for Down syndrome?

The nuchal translucency test correctly finds Down syndrome in

64 to 70 out of 100 fetuses

who have it. It misses Down syndrome in 30 to 36 out of 100 fetuses. First-trimester screening (nuchal translucency combined with the blood tests) correctly finds Down syndrome in 82 to 87 out of 100 fetuses who have it.

How long does it take to get genetic testing results pregnancy?

It takes

about 1 week

to get the results. A positive cell-free DNA test result should be followed by a diagnostic test with amniocentesis or CVS. What do the different results of prenatal screening tests mean?

When can you test for genetic abnormalities in pregnancy?

Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis

The test is done

between 10 and 22 weeks of pregnancy

. It finds DNA from your baby floating around in your blood. The result determines the chance that your baby could be born with Down syndrome, trisomy 18, or trisomy 13.